Politics

On Saturday morning a “Nationwide Rally to Defund Planned Parenthood” was staged, so of course I had to attend the counter-protest being held at the same time.

Their opponents would paint them as solely being provider of abortions, which is why they want the organization “defunded.” Setting aside the moral argument for a woman’s right to choose what to do with her own body, along with the facts that federal dollars don’t go towards abortions, and that abortion isn’t even a service provided at the Dayton clinic, there is demonstrable evidence that the types of valuable preventive services and education Planned Parenthood offer leads to fewerabortions.

I have several friends who, without Planned Parenthood, would not have been able to get the routine services they needed. So I was happy to come out Saturday and support Planned Parenthood, even though I would much prefer that such a thing not be necessary.

Also, since I was near the front of the protest and was carrying a sign with a clearly visible, non-profane message, my smiling face showed up in the local news.

My immediate reaction upon seeing the picture was relief that I’d taken the time to make sure my sign’s kerning was decent.

It’s been a long, anxious week. Wednesday was almost palpably surreal. Listening to NPR’s new coverage during my drive into work; quiet conversations with friends and colleagues; scrolling through the posts of nonwhite, LGBT, and Muslim friends and acquaintances worried for their future. As the week has worn on that surreality has abated somewhat, wibbly-wobblying its way into a kind of grim acceptance.

Obviously, I have many thoughts about what happened Tuesday night, and a whole lot of feelings, but I’ve been struggling to put them down in a cogent manner. Others have written far more eloquently about the election’s outcome than I could. John Scalzi. Laurie Penny. And many more.

Instead, I’ll just share something I wrote on Twitter the other day, and note that the election may be over, but this isn’t the end. Not by a long shot.

Joined the @ACLU. Re-upped my monthly donation to @PPAOhio. Realized my complacency made me part of the problem. No more. #ThanksTrump